Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-12
\ QUEER STORY.
THE HAxNERsNrTH MYSTERY.

THE HAMMERsNrTH MYSTERY
Mr. Martin stucKey had been prosperous colo
mai merchant In his day. bgt At The agr Of nfty-
nv b. encountered a succeSsiou at uaisfortunes
Which ultimately landed hIs IN the Bankruptcy
Court, When that crisis was past ne went 10 live
IN a sIllu house at HsmmerSgaith with his wife,
n you, SVr scn EphFaisa. and one servant Not
i0a- amer his wife led aud this last blow reduced
IN. old maa O. a complete WEEK. He became
CalAissh. and list his memory so completely that
ne had 40 recollection Of ordinary events from day
O. dsy. NRich was, perhaps, a merclrul dispense
tiou % Providence after all.
KRRrslm Stuckey was now the master OF the
hous, though the house Itself belonged 90 the
father having been PURCHASED With some money
OF MA stucSey'S Ephraim was a stOckbroker In
a small way % business, which might have been
Iarzer n EphraIm himself had been fonder OF
work. and bad combined a little more greediness
for the commissions OF clients with little less
faith In grand speculative cOups On his own ac-
count. He WAS afflicted 10 grumbnng at the
hariships OF his lot, and more particularly at the
burden OF keeping "the old man." as he called his
father Tais. however was as unreasonable as 1t
was undutiful, for not only WAS Ephraim living
rent-free in his fathers house. but old Mr..
Stuckey's maintenance was fully provided for by
the elder son, Alfred Alfred, 10 his fathers
palmy days, had been put into the church. He
was now a curate In a Midland County parish on
- a
contributed $50 a year 10 his fathers support
quite enough 20 leave a margin OF prOnt for
kphrain ~ any one, therefore, mad reason TO
grumOle az the prUlOngatOp OF the fathers life IL
Alfred IL must he mentioned however, that
there was one small expectation for both the sons
upon their fathers death. Martin Stuckey's life
bal been Insured IN better days for c3OOO and the
premiums upon the policy had been kept up Dy
the joint contributions OF the two young men. But
Mr.. Stuckey showed no immediate Likelihood OF
enabling his sons tO realize this investment Since
the breakdown OF his mind his bodily health had
much Improved, as not unfrequently happens In
such cases and his mental incapacity was not OF a
Kind 20 cause anxiety. There had been at one time
question between the brothers about providing
him with an attendant, but Ephraim was opposed
70 unnecessary expense, and pointed out that
The old gentleman never LETT the house
unless by invitation, and that. while
within doors, he was perfectly under the
control of those about him, Including even the one
maid-servant Of the establishments trustworthy
young woman. who had been with the family for
some years The truth was that the old gentle
man was so submissive that, II so ordered, he
would remain In one room for nOurs together, and
under these circumstances 1t really seemed that
Ephraim and the maid were quite capable or look
ing after him This Idea, however, turned out 10
The Rev Alfred stuckey DID not often VISIT Lon
don, but when lie did 50 he always endeayGred TO
spend day with his father. on such occasions
he would generally take the old gentleman out
with him for the day, protesting 20 think that he
Was too much confined 10 the house. one day,
about the middle OF october, Ephralm Stuckey
informed the maid-Servant that his brother was
coming to town, and added that, II Alfred should
take his father out, as he sometimes did, she had
better take a days holiday.
In due course the Rev Alfred arrived. and. after
spending night at the house, he said that he
would take his father by steamboat TO Richmond
Tor the day. The maid was accordingly informed
that she could have her promised holiday. Then,
however, a difficulty arose. The girl wished TO 20
some distance and could not be back before 8
O'Clock In the evening. Alfred. on the other hand,
had no intention OF keeping his father out Till
that hour, and besides this. be had return that
night 70 ais parish. for which purpose be must
leave st. Pancras station al about o'clock. Who,
interval7
Il dare say I can &c, home. !" said Ephraim-
What time Will you return7r
That depends on father. Not later than
O'Clock IA any case. AS have 70 be at St Pan
eras by shall leave here before 5: 30"
Il think can manage 10 be back by that time
said EphraIm, sand there Is no harm In leaving
the governor for half an hour by himself II am
hot here wheu you return put him into that arm
chair, give him his pipe, and tell him In your most
Impressive voice that he Is not TO stir on any ac-
"Are you sure that he viii be all rfghte"
~re5is5ly; He would not move II the house
VIII this understanding the parties separated
1t was between $50 and pm. on the same day
when Mr. Ephraim Stuekey presented himself az
Hammersnith police station and asked for assist
ancr He made at The same time a statement from
shlcn IN addition 70 the above facts. it appeared
that, In consequence OF business unexpectedly de-
tanning hlua IN town, he had not reached home
until close upon O'Clock He then found no trace
or BIS father or OF bis brother and after waiting
Tor the return OF the servant and making innurirs
about the nelghborhoOd. he had cCme 70 the con-
oslon mat on being LETT alone his father had, for
tAe nrst time on record taken IL into his head to
go out BY himself, and had either lost himself or
met sitn some worse mlschance.
subsequent events confirmed the latter theory
The Rev. Alfred SIuckey, on being Communicated
with oy telegram next day replied that he had
en- MS father at home In his chair at 515 on the
previous evening. ON the same day Mr. Stuckey's
hat was found In the Osier beds at Chiswick A
day or two later walking stick, which had GER
talnly belonged 70 him, was picked up In the
river At Chelsea The police continued the hue
And-cry with unabated vigor but afrer these dis
sSssnpss 1y one .nsSry ol tne oia gentl mans
motive 70 suggest bis having met foul play He
had neither The means nor the strength TO have
uave ed 10 any distance. The conclusion seemed
Inevitable that be had slrayed out for some pur-
poSe-perhaps for no other reason than that MS
days outing had unduIy excited him-and had
somehow fallen into the river IL was a Consider
able time, however, before the discovery OF the
body put the old mans fate beyond question
During the interval Ephraim Stuckey was more
than once summoned 10 different points between
new Bridge and Grayesend for the purpose OF in
speeding the CHASTITY human noatsam and Ietsam
OF the river, but without result -Four weess had
nearly elapsed when he received Information that
i nl, Dody OF an elderly man had been found at
Deptford, the linen or which appeared TO have
been markell with an as" The features were Ali
out unacceptable. but after such Inspection as
Wa possible, Ephralm without hesitation pro-
holneed the remails 10 b. those Of his father
lac Inquest which followed and which was of
course. held al DepIlord added only one addlrional
Iafl 10 thOs above stated The medical evidence
showed that there severe contusI m on me
Letd, when hau PROBABLY been caused before
ueath and the doctor was strongly of the opinion
th1t the deceased had been stunned by this ploW
ana men thrown Ia the river. There was nothing
however, 10 point TO a definite conclusion, and
aftsr hearing the evidence OF the rev Alfred
Stuckey and his brother as TO the mental condt
tlon OF The deceased, the jury returned verdict OF
POUND Drowned" certificate OF THIS yerttct
together with other documents relating 10 the
Death, was subsequently lodged Dy the Rev Alfred
stueAey, as administrator OF the deceased win
tne Monument Assurance COMPANY In whose
once The insurance on Martin Stuckey's life mad
been effected ~ --N
About week after this was done Mr.. Gamer
llr manager or the Monument Assurance Com,
yahy, h4s Shown into the ONCE OF Mr.. George
The oonpanys solicitor.
In stuckeys case. t0S
~ies, little" replied Mr.. George: "but am
AFRAID nothlng that j. much use to Us at presenty
III IS not case OF sulcideg'
suusc Tor yourself. You remember that at The
lnQucst the Rev. Alfred Stuckey stated rhat he ~
lnrDeo with his father from Richmond sabout x
ahd leIt aquarter OF an hour later in order ~
Il do" ~ is '-eiosa
very wei. Vow ! have ascertained tina, Mr.
AIneu and the deceased took a carriage al Rich
mona not long before p m, but were only driven
Is tAr as Barnes, where. at their own request they
Merc put down On the tow-path have found the
nyhan, who says that he set them down ON the
tow-parD, nearly opposite Chiswick abont IN
ana saw them walk away eastward We nave also
~ hold Of an old woman who saw them on the
,,ow-patn near HaTnnersmith Bridge but whether
D.l0N OF ABOVE she cannot state, walking In the
VtsctlOD OF Putney. She says AZ was within A few
minutes OF D O'Clock. and lust getting dusk on